Locking device for gear shift levers



July 21, 1931.

H, A. MILLER LOCKING DEVICE FOR GEAR SHIFT LEVERS Filed June 18. 1928 NVENTOR ZCAZ. fyi/2er' Patented July 2l, 1931 UINITED STATES PATENT oFF-TCE A HARRY A. MILLER, OF EDMOND, OKLAHOMA LOCKING- DEVIGE FOR GEAR SHIFT LEVERS Application led June 18, 1928. Serial No. 286,406.

My invention relates to improvements in 10 and 11 are provided with reduced portions locking devices for gear shift levers, and it 12 having semicircular recesses 13 arranged consists in the combinations, constructions, to receive a portion of the gear shift lever and arrangements herein described and and a portion of the cover 9. The inemclai'med. bers l0 and 11 are also provided with arcu- 55 AnA object of my invention is to provide a ate-shaped recesses 14 which are adapted to locking device for a gear shift lever which receive the bell-shaped portion of the cover 9. is designed for a special type of gear shift Supporting surfaces l5 are provided for lever and which has novel means for lockthe membersl() and l1 and are adapted to ening the lever in neutral position. gag-e with the housing 2 and rest thereupon 60 A further object of my invention is to prowhen the members are in assembled posivide a device of the type described which tions. Locking keys 1G are integral with consists of only two parts, and which may be members 10 and 11 and extend inwardly. readily applied to the shifting lever. The locking keys 16 are provided with arcu- A further object of my invention is to proate-shaped contacting surfaces 17 for a pur- 65 vide a device of the type described which pose hereinafter described. has novel means for holding the shifting Locking pins or arms 18 are integral with lever out of operative engagement, the male member 10 and are provided with Other objects and advantages will appear lock-receiving recesses 19. Arm-receiving 20 in the following specification, and the novel openings 2O are provided in the member 11. 70

features of the invention will be particu- A lock 21 of any desired construction is dislarly pointed out in the appended claims. posed in the member 1l and is provided with My invention is illustrated in the accomcatches 22 which are inovably disposed in the panying drawings, forming part of this apmember 11 and havetheir ends arranged to 25 plication, in which extend into the openings 20. 75

Figure l is a side elevation of my device From the foregoing description of the va- Figure 2 is a topplan view of my device, rious parts of the device, the operation there- Figure 3 is a section along the line 3 3 of may be readily understood. The gear of Figure 1, and shift lever 5 in actual practice is normally Figure 4 is a section along the line 4 4 of held downwardly by means of a spring, not so Figure Q shown, and the guide or pivot pin 8 is re- In carrying out my invention, I make use ceivable iii the slots 4. Vhen the shifting of a gear shifting unit 1 which contains a lever is in this position, it may be actuated housing 2 provided with a reduced portion in the ordinary manner to shift the gears 3 which is circular in cross section and which of the transmission not shown into the va- 85 is provided with diametrically opposed slots rious Speeds or gear relations. To disengage 4. A gear shift lever or rod 5 extends the shifting lever from the gear shifting through the housing 2 and is provided with mechanism, the operator may pull upwardly a ball portion 6. Adjacent the ball portion 6 upon the shifting lever against the tension is an annular flange 7. A guide or piv-ot pin of the spring, not shown, so as to move the 90 8r extends through the ball portion 6 and is pin 8 out of the slots 4. Then by rotating the adapted to be received in the slots 4. A belllever into the position shown in Figure 8, shaped cover 9 is disposed concentric with the pin 8 may rest upon the upper surfacey the gear shift lever 5 adjacent the annular of the portion 3 of the housing 2. In this flange 7 and is arranged to extend over the position the lever is. moved away from and 95v end of the reduced portion 3 of the housing 2 disengaged from the gear shifting mechaand over` thel pin 8. nism. i

I provide a locking device which consists The members 10 and 11 of the body portion of a body portion formed of a male member may then be placed together so that the belll0 andY a female member 11. The members shaped cover 9 will be received in the recesses 1.00

14 so that the lower edge of the cover will be disposed adjacent a shoulder 23 of each of the members 10 and 11. Furthermore, in placing the membersl() and 11 together', the locking arms 18 pass into the openings 20 and the catches 22 of the lock 21 will be received in the recesses 19. 1n this manner the members 10 and 11 will be automatically locked together. Furthermore, the locking keys 16 will extend through the slots el of the housing 2 so as to position the arcuate-shaped surfaces 17 adjacent the ball-shaped portion 6 as shown in Figure Ll. The surfaces 15 of the members 10 and 11 will engage with the housing 2 so as to prevent any downward movement of the body portion. vWhen the members 10 and l1 are locke( together in the manner illustrated, the shifting lever 5 is held against downward movement by the cover 9 engaging with the shoulder Q3, by the surfaces 15 engaging with the housing 2, and bythe pin 8 engaging with the upper surface of the portion 'll he shifting lever is also held against downward movement, due to the fact that the keys 1G extend through the slots l, thus obviating the possibility of the pin S being received therein.

The body portion is also held against displacement by the bell-shaped cover 9 which prevents the movement of the body portion in one direction, and the housing 2 which prevents the movement ofthe body portion in the opposite direction.

rhe members 10 and l1 may be readily removed by actuating the lock 21 so as to move the catches 22 out of engagement with the recesses 19. .Vhen this has been accomplished, the members 10 and l1 may be moved away from each other so as to remove the locking arms 18 from the openings Q0. rlh-e shifting lever 5 may then be rotated so as to move the pivot pin S into engagement with the slots l so that the lever may be moved downwardly and into operative position.

I claim:

1. The combination with a gear shift lever having a pivot pin, a housing having slots arranged to receive said pivot pin, a cover carried by said lever, said lever arranged to be moved outwardly so to move said pivot pin out of said slots, and means arranged to receiver said cover for securing` said shifting lever in the outwardly moved position.

v2. A device of the type described comprislf ing a body portion composed of a male member, a female member, said members having arcuate-shaped recesses disposed therein foi` receiving a portion of a gear shifting mechanism, locking keys extending inwardly from ysaid members, locking arms integral with cesses in said locking arms, and means for actuating said catches.

3. A device of the type described comprising a body portion composed of a male member, a female member, said members having arcuate-shaped recesses disposed therein for receiving a portion of a gear shifting mechanism provided with a ball-shaped portion, and locking keys extending inwardly from said Vmembers Vand having arcuate-shaped portions arranged to engage with said ballshaped portion for holding said ball-shaped portion against displacement.

1. A device of the type described comprising a body portion composed of a male member, a female member, said members having arcuate-shaped recesses disposed therein for receiving a portion of a gear shifting meehanism provided with a ball-shaped portion, and locking keys extending inwardly from said members and having arcuate-shaped portions arranged to engage with said ballshaped portion for holding said ball-shaped portion against displacement when said ballshaped portion has been moved outwardly.

5. The combination with a housing, a gear shift lever provided with an enlarged fulcrum portion disposed within the housing, and a movable member, of clamping members adapted for being connected with the housing, and means carried by the clamping members and extending within the housing for holding the lever out of operative engagement with the movable member.

G. The combination with a housing, a gear shift lever provided with an enlarged fulcrum portion disposed within the housing, and a movable member, of clamping members, and means for securing said clamping members in locking engagement with the housing, said clamping members being provided with portions extending vwithin the housing and in engagement with the Afulcrum portion for holding the lever out of engagement with the movable member.

7 rlhe combination with a housing, a lever adapted for being moved into and outy of engagement with a movable member and having an enlarged fulcrum portion disposed within the housing, of means for holding the lever out of operative engagement with the homa and State of Oklahoma this 9th day of June, A. D. 1928.

HARRY A. MILLER. 

